Education

The last answer that won the 2017 state championship for A.R. Rucker Middle School’s academic challenge team was “herbivores.”
Rucker’s team was named the Division II state champion for middle schools Thursday after a 32-22 victory over Lexington County’s Pine Ridge Middle School.
The championship is the first for A.R. Rucker’s academic challenge team.
Bringing in 17 points – the most points out of the five team members who competed – was eighth-grader Louie Prete.

Lancaster County School District officials hosted the first of several After-School Student Safety Forums on Tuesday at Indian Land Middle School, drawing a crowd of nearly 130 parents and students.
Panelists addressed the dangers of playing the “choking game,” vehicle and bus safety, social media, drugs, gun safety and bullying.

It’s time for Dr. Annette Melton’s next challenge.
The Kershaw Elementary School principal will no longer be climbing ropes on field day in high heels. She is retiring after 34 years with the Lancaster County School District and seven years as KES principal. She will become state director for AdvancED, a educational nonprofit headquartered in Tempe, Ariz., and Alpharetta, Ga.
Her last day was March 10.

Joe Keenan was so excited when he became principal of Lancaster High School in July 1996, he forgot to pick up his wife, Debbie, from the hospital after surgery.
His new job was just that enthralling.
Now, 21 years later, Dr. Keenan has decided to retire.
“People tell you ‘you know when it’s time to go,’ and it’s time,” he said.
Keenan, 56, said some of his best memories are the school winning Palmetto Gold and Silver Awards for student achievement, and the Lady Bruins’ 2015 state basketball championship.

The Lancaster County school board has approved a contract for the construction of a third elementary school to serve Indian Land students.
The $20,673,545 construction contract with Edcon Inc. was signed Tuesday morning, March 14.
Edcon will build a 1,170-student facility on U.S. 521 just south of Rebound Road.
Edcon’s bid will allow the district to build the school for 200 more students than the minimum 970 students the base bid required, according to Lancaster County School District Superintendent Gene Moore.

The Lancaster County School District will host an After School Student Safety Forum next week at Indian Land Middle School to discuss topics like bus, internet and latchkey child safety.
The forum will be 7-8:30 p.m. March 14 in the ILMS gymnasium, and there will be a panel discussion.
LCSD safety director Bryan Vaughn said the Student Safety Task Force Committee was created following the deaths of three students in the district in the past year. He said the committee decided it was necessary to offer safety forums to parents and guardians of students in the county.

The art students at USC Lancaster were delighted to show off their artwork Thursday during a public reception in the ground floor art gallery of Founders Hall.
One of Antonio Cherry’s paintings was a portrait of his daughter, Kylie.
Cherry, who left the military to spend more time with his daughter, said he chose to paint her because of the impact she has had on his life.

Buford Elementary Principal Andrea Ribelin was shocked last weekend when she was named outstanding administrator of the year by the S.C. Counseling Association.

“It’s very humbling, because what I do is my passion and my calling,” Ribelin said. “To be recognized for that is just a real shock. I would not be the leader I am without the phenomenal work of the staff at Buford Elementary School… and the support of our community is a huge plus.”